Picture this -- the Penn basketball team is making a comeback against Princeton. Sitting (or more likely standing) in the stands at the Palestra, an elated Quakers fan high-fives his neighbor. Only that neighbor is not a face-painted student -- she is University president Amy Gutmann.
And that situation is one that is not at all unlikely.
As far as the President's public relationship with Penn athletics and her presence at sporting events, it seems fair to conclude that Gutmann has already surpassed her predecessor, Judith Rodin.
Anyone who attended a Quakers basketball game at the Palestra last year likely witnessed Gutmann running through the Penn cheering section, giving high-fives to students, pumping up the fans amidst Penn's historic comeback against Princeton last season, and displaying her school pride.
"I never saw Judith Rodin do that," Penn Athletic Director Steve Bilsky said. "I think they both see athletics as a vital part of the spirit on campus. They both like to win.
"But their personalities are different."
Simply put, Gutmann makes her presence known. She does not sit with her legs crossed at games, merely hoping that Penn wins. Rather, she stands up and cheers, like any other member of the Penn community. She runs through the stands, creating an image of an approachable, involved, and youthfully enthusiastic president.
Indeed, this was one of Gutmann's stated goals when she arrived at Penn -- to be accessible to students. While some have criticized Gutmann for not carrying through on this promise, no one involved in athletics can question her commitment to Penn sports.
"I think the spirit of Penn fans is terrific," Gutmann said. "What I'm most proud of is that we have scholar-athletes here."
In other respects, however, it seems Gutmann has yet to reach her predecessor's levels.
When it comes to voicing her opinion about controversial issues in Ivy League sports -- ranging from the postseason ban in football, to adding an 11th game to the schedule in football -- Gutmann has provided generic, un-opinionated responses.
When Rodin was president, she spoke openly about the dichotomy between Ivy League presidents, regarding how they viewed Ivy teams winning national championships.
Rodin said that half of the presidents think national competition is a great thing, while the other half believe that winning national championships should not be a goal or even a possibility for Ancient Eight teams.
Rodin, very clearly and decisively, said that she was part of the half that supports athletics and championships.
Gutmann is less direct when commenting on such issues.
When asked which side of the debate she supports, she replied, "I really think it's terrific that our teams play by the rules and try to win by the rules, and I'm very excited when they do. We're very proud of our individuals and our teams that succeed on the national level, as long as they do so within the mission of Penn and the Ivy League."
When asked whether she is content with the current state of Ivy athletics, and how she envisions the future of the Ancient Eight, she provided a similarly circuitous response.
"What I'm most proud of is that we have scholar-athletes here. I think we've got a really good program that recruits and supports our scholar athletes," she said.
"We are in the Ivy League, the repository of that balance, and it's really our responsibility."
Bilsky attributes Gutmann's less direct responses to the fact that she is simply in her first year on the job.
"I think she is very supportive of athletics," he said. "I think if you had asked Judy Rodin those same questions when she in her first year as President, she would have answered the same way."
Bilsky and Gutmann both describe their professional relationship in similar terms. Bilsky said that his views are aligned with Gutmann's, as both are very supportive of athletics and academics at Penn.
"I have a very good relationship with the Athletic Director, and his views are in line with mine," she said.
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